This invention relates to high speed food processing machines in which a vertical drive shaft supports and drives food processing blades within an upwardly open food containing bowl. The bowl, which is closed by a lid during food processing, is pivoted for pouring its contents. Typically, a powerful motor on the bottom of the bowl rotates the drive shaft, and a mixing baffle blade is supported through the lid for rotation along and around the inside surface of the bowl for removing and returning foodstuffs from the side of the bowl to the vicinity of the food processing blades for further processing. The blades are removable and interchangeable, so that the blade or other tool configurations may be matched to the processing needs at hand. Machines of this type are highly effective in processing foods, and are so fast (many operations being performed in less than a minute), that the actual processing time is but a small part of the total "turn around" time. That is, it usually takes longer to load and unload the machine than to process the food once it is in the machine.
After the food is processed, the baffle blade can present a hazard when the lid is opened and the bowl is tilted for removing the foodstuffs. The baffle blades on larger machines of this type are driven by small electric motors, and when stopped, they stay put. But on small machines the baffle blades are turned manually, and when the machine is tilted with the lid open, the baffle blade will swing down under the pull of gravity. This occurs as the bowl is being tilted, and seemingly at just the moment the foodstuffs begin to pour from the bowl. As the user is thus busily managing the pouring of the foodstuffs, the baffle blade swings against him, soiling and distracting him.